A family holiday is the only thing on Akshay Kumar’s mind after the release of Tees Maar Khan. So the Bollywood star is off to Goa to celebrate his wife Twinkle’s 36th birthday Wednesday as well as ring in the New Year with a bang.

’I am going to Goa with my family for nine days and I will just enjoy myself. We will be celebrating Tina’s (Twinkle) birthday there first and then party on New Year’s Eve,’ said Akshayi. The action star, whose cookery game show MasterChef India on Star Plus came to a grand end last week, says he makes sure he chalks out adequate family time every year to take Twinkle and their eight-year-old son Aarav.

’You need to strike the right balance between work and family. I manage it very carefully. My family understands the nature of my work and never bothers me when I am working. So when I am on a holiday, I never give them a chance to complain and I just have fun,’ he said. He also makes sure to pamper his wife once every year.

’I like to take breaks between my projects and once every year, I take a slightly long break. At that time, I just keep a globe in front of my wife and I ask her to choose whichever destination she wants to go for a holiday, and that’s where we head! She allows me complete freedom, so I can do at least this much for her,’ said the dutiful husband. It was an average year for Akshay with films like Housefull, Khatta Meetha, Action Replayy and Tees Maar Khan, apart from his presence on the small screen as the host and judge of MasterChef India. He says the TV show was a ’great learning experience’ as it was not just a chance for him to get a step closer to the masses, but also a chance for him to pick up new cookery tips.

’I met so many people through this show and learnt so much. For the first time I heard of cooking fish in curd and mustard...I picked up many such new combinations and ingredients.

’I could relate to their emotions because I also come from the same background. I could understand their feeling of staying away from home for a long time and could understand their needs in their quest for success...,’ said the 43-year-old, who led a simple life in Chandni Chowk in New Delhi before he became a chef in Bangkok and then finally movedg to filmdom with Saugandh in 1991.

The actor, best known for his action stunts in Bollywood, says he is ready to be back with a second season of the show. ’I hope so that the channel would like to do a second season of Masterchef India. I don’t know yet, but Star Plus and I share quite a good rapport and hopefully we will return with the second season. I am all for it,’ he said. After the holiday, Akshay is looking forward to the release of Patiala House, the official trailer of which has been released with Tees Maar Khan. Following that, he will begin shooting for Anees Bazmee’s Thank You.